Quickies: From misogyny to feminism, polio vaccine switch, and the myth of Black Confederates

The campaign to eradicate polio takes a giant step forward – “Mathematical modeling suggests there will likely be at least one outbreak caused by Type 2 vaccine viruses after the switch, Dr. Stephen Cochi, a polio expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters in a briefing last week.” From Buzz Parsec.

The secret history of the photo behind the Black Confederate myth – “A 160-year-old tintype depicting Andrew Chandler and his slave Silas, both in Confederate uniform, has long been used as evidence that slaves willingly fought against the army that aimed to free them. Following the national backlash against Confederate iconography, Silas’s descendants seek to debunk this once and for all.” From Criticaldragon1177.

My inability to make eye contact does not need to be “fixed” – “But what if it’s difficult for a person to maintain eye contact? Should that person be judged as insincere, untrustworthy, or socially flawed? For those with autism who struggle to hold someone’s gaze, these assumptions are often made. And, as someone who’s suffered as a result of these assumptions, I want people to understand why they’re so damaging.”

5 Comments

The eye contact story is interesting. I have the opposite problem. If I don’t pay attention to what I’m doing, I’ll just stare at the people I’m talking to with a blank expression making them uncomfortable. It’s really good for first impressions! :P At least it allows me to figure out who’s insecure. I combat this I have a 5 second rule of staring.
For the record, I believe I’m neurotypical, and know that I’m a white man.

Fund the New Server

The Skepchick Network is a collection of smart and often sarcastic blogs focused on science and critical thinking. The original site is Skepchick.org, founded by Rebecca Watson in 2005 to discuss women’s issues from a skeptical standpoint.